Moles are common. Most people have at least 10 and continue developing new ones until the age of 40.

Moles are pink, tan or brown growths that occur when pigments cells, known as melanocytes, grow in a cluster. They are usually found on areas that are exposed to the sun.

Most moles are small, barely raised and harmless. They rarely turn into melanoma, a type of skin cancer. However, having more than 50 moles increases the risk of developing melanoma. This is why you should see your doctor if you notice any changes in your moles.

Change in Color

A color change that affects the entire surface of the mole could signify something serious.

Unfortunately, moles contain a lot of melanin and are usually darker than the rest of the skin. This makes it difficult to detect color changes.

A normal mole is pink, reddish, tan, brown or just a black spot on the skin – commonly known as a beauty mark. If you notice a mole that looks different from the rest, keep an eye on it. See a doctor if the color keeps changing or if the mole turns an unusual color like blue or white.

Change in Size

Moles usually stay the same size. For instance, if it was just a spot when you first noticed it, it should stay roughly the same size.

If you have a mole that keeps getting bigger, see a doctor. The same goes for moles that are larger than the diameter of a pencil, which is about a quarter inch.

Change in Shape

Moles tend to be round. If a mole has irregular edges that are ragged, blurred or smudgy, see a doctor. The same goes for moles that have a dry, hard, scaly or lumpy surface.

Itching, Bleeding or Oozing

Moles can rub against your clothing and start to itch. However, if the itching mole starts to crust, bleed or ooze, inform your health care provider. Itching, bleeding and oozing could be a sign of melanoma.

How to Check Your Moles

Find a good mirror and examine all the areas of your skin that are exposed to the sun. You should wear very little clothing when doing this.

When examining your moles, keep the ABCDE’s in mind: Asymmetry, Borders, Color, Diameter and Evolving.

According to the experts over at skincancer.org, one person dies of melanoma every 54 minutes.  So, regularly screening your skin is a great cancer prevention habit.

Moles are very common and most are harmless. So please don’t worry. But monitor your moles regularly and see your primary care provider as soon as possible if you see any changes.

The post Should You be Worried About that Mole? appeared first on Lifestyle.

It protects from danger and can even be helpful in certain situations if “used” wisely.

Unfortunately, fear and anxiety, in overwhelming, sustained doses, can be absolutely paralyzing. These two emotions can hijack your thoughts, stress your soul and make you want to shut down and withdraw from life.

As you look back on your life, how many times were your fears irrational and unwarranted? How many times did they exceed any “real” danger posed by the object or situation?

If left unaddressed, fear creates dangerous levels of stress and causes significant problems in your relationships and work.

Coping with Paralyzing Fear and Anxiety

1. Name Your Fears

People become afraid and overwhelmed with worry when they feel out of control; flooded with uncertainty, they worry about what will happen to them and their family.

They begin imagining the worst and start making up scenarios and scary situations. Unfortunately, these self-created scenarios tend to be more catastrophic than what eventually happens (if anything even happens at all).

To break fear’s hold on you, name it. Start by asking and answering, “What am I really afraid of?” This drags fear from your imagination into reality. Acknowledging and articulating your true fears makes fear less threatening and more manageable.

It’s been said over and over again that FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real. Okay. So let’s get to the truth of the matter. And that starts by you asking yourself some questions. Deal with facts not fiction because the truth shall set you free. Don’t be a prisoner in some imaginary jail.

2. Replace Fearful Thoughts with Positive Ones

Many of us are prone to negative self-talk. We are constantly scaring ourselves with fearful thoughts and imagined outcomes that make reality feel a lot worse than it actually is.

To free yourself from paralyzing fear, you must identify the thoughts and self-talk that make you feel anxious, afraid and stuck, and then start replacing them with positive alternatives.

Choose to remind yourself of the facts. Choose to challenge fearful thoughts with positive, fearless statements. For instance, replace the thought of “What if I fail?” with “What if I succeed?” This simple shift of focus will lead you in a healthier direction that takes you to a much better place in your life.

3. Go Into Action

Action is the best cure for paralyzing fear and anxiety!

Focus on the present and figure out what you need to do right now.

Figure out what the next step is and DO it as this creates the motivation you seek.

When the end goal seems insurmountable and overwhelming, making you feel afraid and stressed, choose to see what lies beyond the mountainous, seemingly unconquerable obstacle.

You can choose to gaze at defeat – on the overwhelming thing that’s stopping you… or you may choose to focus on the victory – to life beyond the obstacle.

Focus on the positive outcome – on all of the great things that will result from you conquering the fearful giant that’s paralyzing you and filling your heart with terror.  And then break down the end goal into small, manageable tasks. This builds confidence and creates sustainable momentum. Empowerment isn’t something someone gives you, it’s what you give yourself. So why wait for someone to remove your fear(s) when you can start slaying your giants right now?

4. Talk to a Professional

Talking to a therapist might make it easier to sort things out and pinpoint your fear(s). A good therapist not only listens but helps design an action plan for overcoming your fears. This is especially important if your fear has begun interfering significantly with daily life and/or has crossed over into phobia territory.

A healthy dose of anxiety and fear is good for you!

Fear keeps you from hurting yourself (or others) and can be a catalyst for change.

However, keep fear on a short leash to make sure it remains proportional to the situation at hand. You can do this by acknowledging and articulating it and then replacing it with the facts, positive thoughts and outcomes, and working your action plan.

Don’t let fear control you.

Tame it once and for all.

The post Paralyzed by Fear and Anxiety appeared first on Lifestyle.

It’s November when this article is being published, a season of thanksgiving for many regions worldwide. Times are difficult for many people as they face financial and relational hardships. And with so much tension and unrest around the world and new fears and uncertainties facing us daily, it can be quite a struggle to be thankful sometimes. 

So, today, let’s shift our focus from our problems, and everything that seems so wrong, by looking at how to find something positive in negativity.

Everyone has bad days that are filled with the negative emotions of anger, anxiety, depression, discouragement, uncertainty, worry, resentment, bitterness, and fear. 

These negative emotions are so powerful they can cause mental, emotional, and physical illness.

Ready for some good news? We can choose whether to allow them to dominate our spirit or take charge and put them in their place and find something positive, a blessing, if you will, in the situation. 

Often, negative emotions result from us blaming someone or something for our unfortunate, negative situation. 

Holding onto these negative emotions and nurturing them is the problem; they’re like slivers in the soul that fester and create a gloomy atmosphere within our mind, blocking all hope of brighter days. 

Finding Something Positive

We must take charge of our mind and condition it to think and look for the positive – the blessing – in every situation, even if we’re searching for it through blurry, tear-filled eyes.

Finding something positive takes practice.

We must constantly remember that our thoughts control our feelings; our feelings shouldn’t control our thoughts. 

Our emotions are often triggered by an event or something we’ve chosen to believe to be true about something that has happened or is happening to us. 

The Art of Finding The Positive

The next time you find yourself in a negative situation, remove yourself from the environment as quickly as possible and find a place where you feel safe and calm; put some distance between you and the situation to create emotional space.

This allows you to put the incident into perspective and be more rational and objective by asking these questions:

Am I overreacting?

What is the worst thing that can happen?

How serious will this be in a month or a year from now?

Could I lose a friend over this?

Could I lose my health, job, or family because of this?

Is being angry about this really worth my time and energy?

How would the situation be different if I just let it go?

If this situation is severe and requires my attention, what are two or three specific actions I can take to remedy it or initiate resolution?

What is the silver lining in this adversity I’m facing? 

What could be the silver lining if I chose to find it?

Asking these questions processes your emotions and has a calming effect, helping you be more objective about what you’re facing. 

Although you may not be happy the incident occurred, by taking charge of your emotions, you will know whether you can change it or should leave it alone and walk away. Either way, you’ve taken ownership of your life and have regained the power of choice, which is a positive result for which to be thankful; what you do next in the situation is all up to you. 

Another approach is to “work the problem” by finding a solution when walking away isn’t an option or the best choice. 

Searching for solutions shifts you into an optimistic frame of mind that expands your thinking and creates several possibilities for how this problem might be solved, transforming it from something negative into something positive. Not only will you see the situation differently, but you might also see the “problem” as an opportunity to learn something new.

You Have Control

Feeling controlled and at the mercy of life’s situations and circumstances is a recipe for misery; indeed, it’s a self-made prison of discontent and joylessness. 

You, my friend, can control your thoughts and emotions, which will be extremely difficult at times, but nonetheless, you have that power; it’s a gift from the Creator. 

You are in charge of how you will respond to the negative situation, which is something to be thankful for.

Even if you didn’t have anything to do with creating the negative situation, and even if you were forced into it by no choice of your own, you are still responsible for how you respond. Even though it isn’t fair, it’s even more important to look for the positive – to find the silver lining. 

How do you find the positive in the negative situations? By choosing to search for and find the blessing. Remind yourself that there’s an equal or greater blessing hidden somewhere in there, which is something to be thankful for, too, when you stop and think about it, that will help you see the situation differently. 

Unlock your best life every day this month by choosing to find the blessings contained in life’s seemingly negative circumstances and situations, and give thanks. 

The post The Art Of Finding The Positive In The Negative appeared first on Lifestyle.

Globally, health experts agree that incidences of stress and obesity are rising. In the US, recent studies show that up to 1 in 5 adults often or always feel lonely, anxious, or depressed. Similarly, obesity is growing rampant, with two-thirds of all adults in the US qualifying as such. 

As it happens, the fact that these two issues are on the rise at the same time is no coincidence. Health experts have found that excess weight and heightened stress levels perpetuate a toxic cycle, where one encourages the development and progression of the other. This is concerning since the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that obesity-related complications are responsible for nearly three million deaths from around the world every year. With this in mind, it’s important to understand how stress and weight are connected and how to cultivate a positive weight-loss mindset. 

Where weight and stress meet

Although stress is primarily mental and weight is physical, they are undeniably linked, where one’s symptoms manifest in the other. To start, when the body is stressed, it causes hormonal changes. Chief among these fluctuating hormones is cortisol, which regulates the body’s fight-or-flight mode. During this period, the metabolism naturally slows. High cortisol levels also cause slower production of the hormone leptin, which controls feelings of satiety and hunger. Without enough of this, appetites can increase and lead to weight gain. Stress can also demotivate a person from pursuing weight management methods like diet and exercise.

Meanwhile, eating is a self-coping method for many people, even though any relief it brings is temporary and causes more problems down the road. For some people, what makes weight management tricky is that the extra pounds slowly creep up, making many underestimate the impact of what they’ve gained. However, when you look at the difference between overweight and obese individuals, it’s clear that graduating to obesity carries severe health issues. The extra adipose tissue you gain when obese can trigger inflammation and deregulate blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to up to 200 pressing chronic ailments. A few examples of this include sleep apnea, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancers, gallstones, and, of course, anxiety and depression. Societal biases against obesity can also heighten any depressive ideation. From here, the two continue to impact each other, while an individual just gains more weight and feels more depressed. 

Ways to manage mindset

Obesity is not easy to reverse, but having a positive mindset is the first step in the process. To begin, try to be more compassionate with yourself. We are our own worst critics, so the next time you find yourself thinking overly harsh thoughts about yourself, picture saying this to somebody you care about. Instead, surround yourself with a support system that can quell any of your self-criticisms and lift you up. Having this kind of support is not only inspiring but also a great opportunity for you to receive first-hand tips that can help you.

Next, find a weight loss approach that suits you. There’s no point in following the latest diet or exercise if you find it unsustainable. Even if the approach you opt for is slower to show results, if it’s something you can maintain, you’re bound to feel more fulfilled. For example, if you’re not too keen on traditional gym classes, maybe you’re better off with something like walking. Though more low impact, it’s free, easy to do, and great at helping lower stress, blood pressure, and overall body weight. When you’re doing something, you actually enjoy, it’s easier to keep a level head and keep going, even when the going gets tough. 

Finally, learn to celebrate small wins. Most people end up hyper-fixating on their bigger goals. While not losing sight of what you ultimately want is good, these big goals do take time to reach. As such, you may feel like this goal is so far off and you’re not working to get there fast enough. Naturally, this can lead to feelings of depression. To fight this off, recognize your mini milestones. Doing this helps you acknowledge the progress you’ve made so you can cut yourself some slack and see that you are making changes slowly but surely, along the way to unlocking your best life!

Article written by Sophia Emma Exclusively for Lifestyle Magazine

The post Is Stress Affecting Your Weight? How to Manage Your Mindset for Weight Loss appeared first on Lifestyle.

According to research, gratitude is a game-changer. How can something so easy and simple improve sleep, brighten mood, boost immunity, and reduce depression, anxiety, chronic pain, and disease?

To say that gratitude is powerful is an understatement.

The Mental Health Benefits Of Gratitude 

Gratitude improves mental health by instantly imparting a better outlook on life and increasing happiness.

But the benefits don’t stop at increased happiness.

Being more grateful is linked to a better self-image, less anxiety, and even less depression because taking a few minutes to intentionally practice gratitude increases dopamine and serotonin levels. 

The Physical Health Benefits Of Gratitude 

This is where it gets interesting. Being grateful makes you feel better emotionally, and the “feel-good” hormones it releases affect your physical well-being, too. Gratitude reduces stress, which leads to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and increased energy. As a result, you move more, creating better overall physical health.

For instance, maybe your gratitude practice inspires you to go for a walk, during which you get more oxygen into your body and bloodstream and load up on Vitamin D from basking in the sunshine.

Being able to sleep soundly reduces appetite because it balances your hormones, and less stress helps you make smarter food choices and engage in less comfort eating. The cumulative effect is a healthier and stronger version of yourself. 

Gratitude promotes heart health because lower stress levels and healthier blood pressure put less strain on the heart. Besides, the added exercise and sleep strengthen your heart, giving it time to recover and heal overnight. And since heart disease is a leading cause of death, there’s never been a better time to practice gratitude and calm your nervous system.

Setting aside two or three minutes daily to be grateful can unlock the mental and physical benefits of gratitude.

Find a place to be alone, put your hands over your heart, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Think of people and blessings you’re thankful for. Remember the simple things we often take for granted, like nature, laughter, hope, opportunities, things we’ve survived, and people we’ve had the honor to serve.

Just be grateful.

Open your heart and let your Creator know how much you appreciate His abundant blessings. Doing so will set the tone for your day and your life, too.

Unlock your best life with the empowering benefits of gratitude.

The post The Mental and Physical Connection of Gratitude appeared first on Lifestyle.

Why does it seem so hard to kick procrastination to the curb for good? Beating procrastination is hard. We knuckle down, and things are great for a few days. But then we fall back into old habits or get frustrated with our lack of progress. Minor setbacks can be enough to derail us from working on what we wanted to get done in the first place.

Ready for some good news? One word dramatically improves your chances of success: Accountability. 

Measure Your Progress 

Start by measuring your progress. Be guided by data and not controlled by emotions.

Track your habits. A simple way is to use a journal or a box for each day of the week. Check off each thing you did that you said you were going to do. If you were going to go to the gym on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and you went, then keep a record of it.

In fact, make a list of the things you must do tomorrow, schedule them in a calendar, and keep track of what you actually do.

Do this daily until it becomes a habit or until the project is done. 

For larger projects, organize your goals into milestones. Record your progress toward reaching those milestones as you inch closer to your goals.

What gets measured gets done.

Make Weekly and Daily To-Do Lists 

Take time on the weekend to plan your week based on the major things you need or want to get done; schedule days and times in your calendar to do them.

If that seems overwhelming, make a to-do list the day before. Play around with how many items you put on that list. Too many items will overwhelm you, but challenge yourself to get more done.

Weekly and daily to-do lists keep you accountable because you can look back and see what you’re putting off. If you’ve been “slacking” on certain things, decide if they’re still important to you. If they are, prioritize them in your schedule by working on them before anything else.

Tell A Trusted Friend About Your Plans 

If you’re struggling to get something done, tell a trusted friend about it and ask them to hold you accountable.

Make sure it’s someone who is in your corner and supports you – someone who will hold you accountable in a supportive, encouraging manner.

Sometimes, this gives you the little nudge you need to get you to stop procrastinating and start following through more consistently.

Find An Accountability Buddy 

What’s the difference between asking someone to hold you accountable and finding an accountability partner?

An accountability buddy is someone else who’s also procrastinating. You agree to hold each other accountable. It could be as simple as checking in once in the morning to share what you’re committed to doing that day or following up in the evening to see if you followed through on your to-do list.

Knowing someone else is in the trenches with you is motivating and gives you courage.

Defeating procrastination doesn’t have to be so difficult. Remember, procrastination is a habit you can break one tiny action at a time. You have the power to conquer it and unlock your best life!

The post How To Break-Free From Old Habits And Unlock Your Best Life! appeared first on Lifestyle.

2024 is nearly half over. If you’re actively crushing your goals, congratulations, you’re in the top 9% of goal achievers on the planet!

But if you’re like most people… chances are when you read that question, it’s probably the first time you’ve thought about your New Year’s goals in a long time.

Remember how motivated and excited you were about the possibilities when you made your New Year’s resolutions?

You were focused and clear about your intentions and the changes you wanted to make.

And chances are you still want to take charge of your life and make those changes, so it’s not a lack of desire.

The Culprit

So what’s the culprit? It’s what gets in the way of most of us when we’re trying to learn anything new or uncomfortable:

RESISTANCE.

Resistance comes in the form of self-doubt, fear, discomfort, worry, procrastination, lack of commitment, comfort, etc.

Reflect on the first few months of 2024. What headwinds of resistance have been keeping you from reaching your goals?

The bad news is that the year is nearly half over. The good news is that you still have six months to make 2024 your best year.

There’s still time.

Setting Goals

Most people need to become more familiar with how to set appropriate goals.

In January every year, people usually write down two to three goals in each of the following categories: personal finance, relationships, jobs/business, spiritual, and personal.

In fact, this year, the top six New Year’s resolutions were to improve fitness, improve finances, improve mental health, lose weight, improve diet, and make more time for loved ones.

But here’s what typically happens: We’re told to prioritize our goals and set a deadline to achieve them. Then, make a list of tasks to accomplish those goals by the allotted date.

Unfortunately, this type of goal-setting only leads to failure.

Consider how many Januarys have come and gone where you’ve written goals; June arrives, and you’ve barely looked at them; December arrives, and you’ve not achieved them. This is because they are overwhelming and out of reach.

Goal-Setting That Works

Setting goals is more than dreaming about the kind of life you want.

Goal setting is about creating a life vision for yourself where you successfully achieve your goals without any specified time limits.

Not setting a time limit for your goals may be a new concept.

However, by setting a time limit for achieving your goals, you are setting yourself up for failure, and here’s why.

If you set a time limit on a goal that is sooner than you could conceivably expect to achieve it, your mind will tell you that it is impossible, you will feel overwhelmed, and your productivity will plummet.

On the other hand, if you set your goals for a time that is considerably out of reach, then your mind will tell you that you have a significant amount of time to achieve this goal and that you can “start tomorrow” and not have to work towards it anytime soon.

The Power of A Life Vision

When you create a life vision in which you see yourself accomplishing your goals or enjoying the fruits of your labor, you are more likely to work towards achieving those goals and avoid failure.

Next, set “process tasks” that take you in the right direction and into the reality of your vision.

It’s almost a cliche, but fall in love with the process not the payoff.

The chasm between where you are and where you want to be is bridged by a process—by a batch of certain habits and tasks—that gets you there.

These tasks will have a timeline and strategies, which you should initiate and track using as many time management productivity tools as you find necessary. Unless you measure your progress regularly, you will never follow through. And this time next year, you will be in the same place you are today.

Accomplishing your goals is a matter of keeping them at the top of your mind and in your current consciousness, where you will continue to make forward movement in your task list daily to sustain momentum, much like standing next to a fire to keep warm.

Setting goals isn’t about identifying tasks but discovering what you truly want in life and the person you want to become and establishing a road map to the final destination that unlocks your best life.

The post Did You Forget This? appeared first on Lifestyle.

We live in an age of overwhelm and overload. It’s easy to be paralyzed by choices and feel lost in confusion. The world has become loud, noisy, and increasingly more intrusive.

Being true to ourselves has never been more challenging.

Who are you? What do you stand for? What do you stand against? What do you believe to be true about yourself and the world?

Here are some steps to reconnect with your authentic self in a world that tells you daily who you should be and what you should believe.

Curiosity 

Self-discovery begins with becoming curious about yourself and your life.

What are you passionate about?

What brings you joy?

What gives you a sense of fulfillment?

Explore all the different parts of your desires, interests, and personality. 

Be Present Without Judging Yourself 

It’s hard to connect with your authentic self when you dwell on the past or live in the future and judge yourself for how you feel, the mistakes you’ve made, or missed opportunities.

Take a few minutes to be alone, breathe, and root yourself in the present moment without judgment or self-criticism.

Observe your thoughts, emotions, and situation without attaching self-defeating or disempowering labels.

Accept yourself; be kind and compassionate.

Be your own best friend in this moment – be supportive of yourself!

Why? This quality of self-reflection deepens self-awareness, connecting you to your authentic self.

Values 

So many people are lured into chasing other people’s values.

Step back from the crowd and turn off your devices to protect yourself from the thousands of marketing messages that interrupt your life every day, telling you what you should buy, wear, believe, and be.

Ask yourself: What do I value—what’s most important to me? Is it honesty, integrity, family and friends, health, material wealth, faith, and connecting with God? 

Remember, your values and beliefs change as you mature and grow wiser. What was important to you five years ago might not be today.

Passions

When was the last time you thought about your passions?

What makes you feel alive? What energizes you? What feeds your soul with a sense of fulfillment?

It could be a cause, a hobby, a creative pursuit, or making a difference in the world through your faith community.

Explore your passions because they give you valuable insights into who you are at your core.

Confront Fear 

You can only unlock your best life once you face your fears and limiting beliefs.

What fears are keeping you from being you?

What beliefs aren’t serving you well?

What compromises are sabotaging your hopes and dreams?

Journal 

A journal is a safe space for you to record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences and see how you’re growing and progressing in life.

It reveals emotional and behavioral patterns, giving you deeper insights into your true self. This private space gives you permission to express yourself without fear of judgment. 

Strengths and Weaknesses 

What are your strengths and weaknesses? As difficult as it might be, this should be an objective process.

When do you feel strong?

When do you feel weak?

What do you embrace?

What do you avoid?

Ask people who love you and want to see you succeed what they see as some of your strengths and weaknesses.

Final Thoughts 

Connecting with your authentic self is an exciting journey. So, get curious, be fully present, spend time in non-judgmental self-reflection, explore your passions, and confront your fears to uncover your true self and finally unlock your best life.

The post Unlocking Your True Self appeared first on Lifestyle.

Our brains are the command center of our lives and are essential for the quality of our physical, emotional, and mental performance. Chronic stress, poor diet, smoking, and excess alcohol take a severe negative toll on our brain’s functionality. 

These habits also contribute to high blood pressure, cognitive decline, and dementia.

But you can always learn new habits and strategies and change your life. Here are 8 tips to prime your brain for success and unlock your best future.

Mediterranean Diet (MeDi)

High-quality foods are essential to your brain health and physical fitness.

The Mediterranean diet focuses on plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, fish, whole grains, and healthy oils like olive and avocado. 

Based on a study of 502,536 participants, people who followed the principles of the MeDi had a 23% lower chance of developing dementia. Research has also found that the MeDi may improve cognitive capabilities, such as memory.

Tame Stress 

Chronic stress harms brain function. Yale Medicine defines chronic stress as “A consistent sense of feeling pressured and overwhelmed over a long period of time.” 

There are many causes of chronic stress today because life is busier and more complicated than ever. These include life changes, unfulfilling jobs, economic distress, and family dysfunctions. 

When stressed, the brain increases glucocorticoid production, including the stress hormone cortisol. 

The mind goes into overdrive and starts worrying about the future and everything that might go wrong, causing panic and anxiety. 

Reading the Bible and praying have a calming effect on the mind that keeps us anchored in the present. Practicing Mindfulness helps us stay focused on the present rather than dwelling on the past or situations that cause us to worry. Other key concepts include paying attention to our surroundings, accepting ourselves, and focusing on our breathing.

Physical Activity

The Center for Creative Leadership asked over 1,500 executives how exercise impacts their performance. Approximately 90% said that physical activity “clearly impacts” their performance, 12% reported “some impact,” and no one reported zero impact.

They reported regular exercise improved mental clarity, focus, alertness, and problem-solving.

In addition to improving your brain, exercise has physical benefits such as lowering blood pressure and cholesterol, reducing anxiety, improving sleep, decreasing insulin resistance, and strengthening your immune system.

Be Mentally Active

People who don’t “exercise” their brains are at significant risk for early cognitive decline. You can do many activities to give your brain a workout, such as reading, memorizing scripture, learning a new language, playing games, or working on a jigsaw puzzle.

Sleep Well

The importance of sleep and its effect on brain health is huge! When you get good quality, deep sleep, the brain repairs itself and rejuvenates your immune system. In REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep, the brain compiles details you learned during the prior day.

Inadequate or insufficient sleep can contribute to feeling exhausted, cause concentration, mood, and memory disorders, and suppress the immune system.

You know the drill: create a bedtime routine by going to bed at the same time nightly and waking up at the same time in the morning. Over time, this will help set your internal clock and become a regular sleep pattern. Also:

• Turn off your electronics at least two hours before bedtime. This includes cell phones, computers, and social media.
• Eliminate caffeine after 12:00 p.m. The most common sources of caffeine are coffee, tea, soda, and chocolate.
• Avoid eating before bedtime to prevent gastrointestinal issues that may keep you awake.

Stop Smoking

Although people feel that cigarettes or cigars help to calm them and are pleasurable, they pose severe risks to brain functionality. 

A study by the American Heart Association (AHA) found that smoking is associated with cognitive decline, leading to worsening performance. You deserve better. So do yourself a huge favor and stop smoking.

Be Socially Active

Social connections can help reduce stress and depression and prevent memory loss. Look for ways to interact with others, especially if you live alone. 

Brain atrophy has been linked to a lack of socialization. 

Interpersonal relationships and being socially active enhance physical well-being and strengthen brain health. 

Find Inspiration

How often do we take the little things in life for granted? We often overlook these special moments of inspiration, which can be so good for brain health. 

For example, Psych Central says watching the sunrise gives you a feeling of awe, bolsters your mood, and helps you have a “big picture” mentality where we view situations broadly rather than focusing on limited details. It opens your mind to evaluating scenarios entirely rather than breaking them into detailed parts. 

People may also find inspiration from art, visiting a park, or watching the sunset.

Conclusion

A healthy brain keeps our sensory, cognitive, behavioral, emotional, and motor functions working smoothly. Good habits such as eating properly, being physically, mentally, and socially active, and getting sufficient sleep are essential to overall well-being and life satisfaction.

The preceding tips can boost brain health, priming your mind for success and well-being so you can unlock your best life!

The post 8 Ways To Prime Your Brain For Success appeared first on Lifestyle.

What do most of us do when taking a trip to somewhere we’ve never been? We find someone who’s been there and ask them about it because we want to make the most of our trip!

If we put that much thought and effort into a trip, how much more should we be putting thought and effort into the other important areas of our lives?

Just as getting information and advice from friends is a big help when planning a trip, coaches and mentors can be very helpful when designing our lives. 

Steven Spielberg said, “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” 

A true mentor gives you access to wisdom and experience because they’ve done or become what you want to do or become. They don’t coach from theory; they mentor from experience. 

Let’s say you set a goal of making a million dollars. Would you rather be mentored by an experienced multimillionaire or coached by someone who has no experience, only theory? 

Mentoring is a partnership that goes far beyond teaching and holding you accountable. Your mentor gives you access to experience and wisdom, encouragement, and mutual growth. 

It seems everyone has gone into life coaching since the 2020 pandemic. Coaches are a dime a dozen. But genuine mentors, well, they’re worth their weight in gold. 

The Transfer of Skills and Knowledge

A mentor is someone who is much further in their field than the mentee, which means they can provide insights the mentee still needs to gather through real-world experience. 

The transference of wisdom, skill, and knowledge can shave years off the learning process.

This exchange of knowledge accelerates skill development because not only can a mentor teach the mentee new skills, but the wisdom they impart helps the mentee put everything to work to tackle obstacles and challenges with an informed, strategic approach. 

The Thread of Wisdom

A mentor is a compass, providing guidance as you navigate the industry or life situation. You can leverage their experience to become more skillful and create new opportunities. Not only does this help with things like career advancement, but it amplifies purpose and direction.  

Emotional Support and Growth 

A skillful mentor helps nurture emotional well-being and personal growth. They facilitate a safe space for open and honest communication, which allows you to discuss your fears, dreams, and challenges. That emotional reassurance will help you in every aspect of life.

Networking Connections

Your mentor wants you to succeed. They wouldn’t be investing their precious time and energy into you if they didn’t. As an established person, they can introduce you to influential contacts and expand your network. 

Inspiration

Your mentor should be someone you respect and wish to model. Your partnership isn’t just about gaining wisdom or new skills. They inspire you to build a work ethic and adopt the qualities you see in them that you admire. Your mentor is your role model.

Final Thoughts

Many people succeed without a mentor, but they often learn the hard way, struggling with challenges and stresses they could’ve avoided had they reached out to a wise and experienced mentor. Why make the journey any more difficult than it has to be?

If you aspire to greatness and want to unlock your best life, finding a mentor you respect and admire could be worth its weight in gold, so why wouldn’t you accept help from someone who’s already taken the journey you’re about to embark upon? 

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